W.E.stchester Weekly
News from the Principal
Greetings WE families,
Thank you to all of you who came out to our second Annual Fall Festival. It was a great time. The weather was great, the music was awesome, and there was a lot of fun for the kids. Our PTA committee and Board did a terrific job planning. We had many volunteers that made it run so smoothly. It was definitely a Westchester Community Crew coming together. The silent auction was also amazing. Overall, it was a great Westchester success!
We would like to invite you to join us for Thanksgiving Lunch with your child on Wednesday, November 13. We will adjust the lunch schedule slightly. When you arrive, please sign in and wait for your child in the lobby. We also ask that at the end of the lunch period, you give a hug and a kiss and let your child walk back to the classroom with the rest of the class.
10:25 a.m.: First grade
11:12 a.m.: Kindergarten
12:05 p.m.: Second Grade
Payment Information: We strongly encourage parents to make online payments. Parent Portal Food Services link
Difficulty with Online Payments: If parents are having trouble accessing online payments, please direct them to contact Nekee Mathis (nmathis@csdecatur.net, 470.237.0368 ext. 7607) for assistance.
Cash Payments (two guests per student, $5 each): If a parent is unable to make an online payment, we can collect cash payment along with their name, their child's name, the teacher's name, and the number of tickets purchased. Please submit these funds to Ms. Brantley in the front office.
Calendar Reminders:
November 5: Election Day/Digital Learning Day
November 13: Thanksgiving Lunch
November 14: PTA Bingo
November 22: Community Circle and 12:50 p.m. early release
November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
I want to share a quote from Scott Hartly, the President and CEO of EL Education. I feel it really captures the secret sauce of Westchester, which I why I am so grateful to be a part of this community.
"Caring for the needs of every human being in a school community is the work of every member of that community. Fostering learning environments that make courageous, compassionate work of being a community a priority is the special sauce of Crew. It is what makes a good school great, and it’s what gives us an opportunity to make a school a place where every child has an equal chance."
From your very grateful principal,
Christine Knox
Reminders
School Lunch Policy: Please be sure to maintain a positive lunch balance for your child. This will help us avoid any unexpected lunch changes for students. Check your Parent Portal frequently to make sure your child has adequate funds for the cafeteria. You may also find the Parent Portal app (for Apple or Android) to be more convenient.
Do you have a knack for gardening or landscaping? We are looking for some parents who are willing to help with our second grade planting project. Due to weather conditions last month, our community volunteers had to cancel and are not able to reschedule. So, if you are willing to help prepare the area in front of the auditorium, we would love your help. The children will plant new shrubs that are native to our community. As a reminder, the students raised the money during their Spring Expedition to purchase new plants. It is time to complete this project and we need some help. Please email Ms. Knox at cknox@csdecatur.net
Supper & Sips Returns!
Grab your friends and neighbors and help us celebrate the return of Decatur Education Foundation's highly-anticipated fall FUNdraiser - Supper & Sips! Join us on Thursday, Nov. 14th, from 6-10 pm at The Chapel on Sycamore for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship - all for a good cause. The Supper provides crucial support for DEF, allowing us to continue our work addressing unmet needs, providing enriching opportunities, and supporting our educators.
Get your tickets today! Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email Meagan@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.
STEP UP for Decatur Youth!
DEF was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of residents who wanted to ensure that EVERY student in CSD had what they needed to learn and thrive. Today, DEF's mission remains focused on Decatur's kids and educators, and we are still 100% reliant on the support of the Decatur community. DEF puts the community's contributions where they will have the biggest impact on our students, and DEF's Step Up Circle is a special group of supporters that allows us to operate programs like Lighten the Load, Teacher Innovation Grants, behavioral health support, arts programming, and so much more. There are also benefits - for both businesses and individuals - to joining DEF's Step Up Circle (beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from supporting Decatur's kids!). Visit https://decatureducationfoundation.org/step-up-circle/ to learn more about the different giving levels.